Calming Technique: Deep Pressure

Photo: innovativecaremodels.com 

How our bodies feel is directly affected by what our senses pick up from the environment. Some of us are more "tuned in" to our outer and inner environments than others.

The most calming of sensory inputs, which can last in the nervous system for up to a couple of hours, or even longer, dependent on the intensity  is deep pressure input.  Simply defined, deep touch pressure is the type of (tactile) surface pressure on the body in most types of firm touching, holding, hugging, or swaddling. 

(Light touch pressure is a more superficial touch on the skin: tickling, light touching or brushing, or moving just the hairs on the skin. Occupational therapists have observed that a very light touch alerts the nervous system, but deep pressure on skin, muscles and joints is relaxing and calming.)

In the elementary or middle school classroom, deep pressure activities can be highly effective for improving concentration, cooperation and overall receptivity of the material being taught, or for those times when they become worked up, anxious or have meltdowns.(This is one reason that phys-ed and recess programs need to be re-instated or expanded.)

As an Mind-Body Educator, one of my objectives is to show other educators and parents how to incorporate these techniques into everyday routines. There are a variety of ways to satisfy this sensory need:

• Weight bearing yoga postures: (especially, plank, chair, mountain, tree, forward bends, downward dog, warrior III, triangle, half-moon)
• Weighted Lap Blankets
• Frequent Movement Breaks
• Self-Massage
• The 4 B's

This is not only effective for the students with sensory or cognitive challenges, but all children. The one question that is often asked, is "How much pressure do I give?"

Below I have included links to three articles that explain this sensory need a bit more as well as ways to address it and how much pressure to use:




Deep Touch Pressure Helps Kids Concentrate & Be Calm (Life Skills 4 Kids)

Calming Effects of Deep Touch Pressure in Patients with Autistic Disorder, College Students, and Animals  (Temple Grandin, PhD )

Proprioceptive Dysfunction (SensoryProcessingDisorder.com)


Please feel free to share these resources with others. IF you have another good resource, please leave us a link in the comments below.


Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com  




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Teen Health: The Most Requested Technique for Stress Relief

I was watching my newly-teen age daughter do her homework yesterday, and I noticed her posture. She was leaning to one side, her one leg folded under her and her head resting in her free hand. A little while later she told me she had a headache. Instead of giving her an aspirin, I asked her to sit down in front of me, and I placed my hands on her shoulders. Just as I thought: her neck and upper back muscles were completely constricted and hard as a rock.

3 Minute Neck Massage

I placed one of my home made hot packs around her neck and then I spent about 10 minutes kneading out the knots with my hands. She started to relax and told me about her day, which was a particularly stressful one for her.

At the end of the 10 minutes I asked her how she felt and she said she was much better. She didn't have a headache any more. When she went back to her work, her posture was much better.

My daughter had not even realized that she was stressed, and her outward posture and headache were her own body's signs of a stress response. The most useful skill I have learned through yoga practice over the years is how to recognize the signs of stress not only in my own body, but also the outward signs of stress in others. I've spent many years teaching myself, my own kids and my students how to recognize it and head it off before it gets out of control.

Stress related illnesses count for at least $300 billion each year in health care costs & missed work/school. About half of Americans (48%) report lying awake at night due to stress. (Source: American Psychological Association study, 2009). To combat this, Americans fill more than 50 million prescriptions for sleeping pills and spend more than $600 million on over-the-counter sleep-inducing supplements.

Stress in children is now on the rise with and estimated 45% of school age children reporting feeling worried & stressed and 61% of teens reporting feeling stressed. All of these children reported physical symptoms such as stomach or headaches and nightmares.

In spite of this statistic, only 17%-28% of  the parents polled acknowledged that their children's behavior or symptoms could be stress related. These numbers show the huge disconnect between our own views of stress and how we view the effects of stress on our kids.

It’s difficult for both adults and children to concentrate on work and be/do their personal best when their mind is racing and body is aching. Physically, the upper back, spine, back of head, shoulders and neck seem to be the areas where the most stress and tension builds up, so those are the areas of the body that need the most relief. When we are more relaxed, we have a more positive outlook, concentrate for longer duration, accomplish more in a shorter time frame and stay well longer.

I believe that self-care - particularly managing stress - is the most vital and self-empowering Life Skill that we can teach our students and children.

Exercise, hydration and monitoring the types and amounts of foods that are eaten are 3 quick ways to minimize and manage stress. Another option is a simple 3 minute massage.

While getting a professional massage can do wonders for reducing stress levels and clearing one's head, it may not be logistically or economically practical on a regular basis. No worries. You can learn to do this yourself, for both you and your child or teen.

Here is the simple process that I showed my daughter. You can learn it for yourself and teach your children how to do it for themselves too.

3 Minute Neck and Shoulder Massage (Video)

Photo: Barbara Gini for Serenity Health & Fitness

In my teen yoga classes, one of the techniques I teach in addition to the self-massage technique for shoulders, hands & feet, is the 'Massage Train', pictured at right. (The picture quality is low because it originally came out very dark, so I had to lighten it a few times to show detail.) This is done at the end of class, in dimmer light, and there is no talking during the activity.

Students who do not want to participate may "opt out" and just do a simple relaxation on their mat, but I have only ever had one student-including the extremely shy & the sensory-avoiding students-opt out.

I encourage each student to focus only on the student in front of them and to massage with intention, to project love, healing, friendship compassion, forgiveness, reciprocation (I usually pick one theme per class rather than all at once.) and all the positive things they wish for themselves, to the person they are massaging.

I sit behind the last student in the line and massage scalp, neck, shoulders, back and arms. I let them do this for about 3-5 minutes. Then, everyone turns themselves around, facing the opposite direction, and we do it for another 5 minutes, with me switching position as well, again, behind the last student in the line.

This is by far the most asked for activity in my teen classes. Teens are stressed. They are frustrated. They crave calm, relaxation, human contact and a safe, welcoming space that allows them to just 'be'. This activity helps re-connect them with their sense of self, cultivate calm, and gives them permission to 're-charge' their internal batteries. It is an activity that can be done at home at bedtime, after school or anytime your child is stressed.

How do you help your teens manage stress? Please tell us in the comments below.

~Barbara


Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com

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Rice & The Art of Engagement

Sea Turtle Mandala
Photo: ©2011  B.Gini

A few years ago, I was asked by Greenshire Healing Arts Center to provide a community art project for a Youth Peace Summit that reflects the theme of "Peace". What is better as a symbol of unity than a community Mandala?


Mandalas are circular, symmetrical designs that have been used for centuries as a tool for meditation & reflection, and in more modern times by Sigmund Freud as a tool for psychoanalysis. I have drawn many mandalas over the years and find them to be a great tool for engagement in self-reflection, peaceful, focused thought and creative problem solving.


I was not sure how to proceed at first, and after a few ideas that I rejected, I finally envisioned a design: The Earth encircled by a rainbow-(the symbol for Hope as well as a symbol of diversity) two Doves with olive branches (symbolizing Peace) A Heart at the base is for Love, Friendship and Acceptance, and Lotus petals framing all 4 corners, represent the progress of working towards Peaceful interactions. (A lotus grows up through the mud to blossom into a fragrant, perfect bloom. I have observed & known many people with that same ability.) I drew the design on brown paper that painters use to cover surfaces when working.


The Mandala was made with colored rice-a technique I became familiar with through my Friend Ritu who who also does the most amazing Henna and Batik you have ever seen! She has been doing this beautiful ancient art for many years. She was my inspiration for the building of this project & this was my first time doing such a large piece.


Each grain of rice, being placed on the design by at-risk teens of all ages was the epitome of Peaceful interaction not just with each other, but within themselves. I noticed that as each area of the design emerged-one small spoonful at a time- the kids became fully engaged in the tiny colorful grains. One remarked that she felt as if she had become part of the design itself.

That is the beauty of this process. As each individual works on a part of the design, and as it emerges, it brings self- reflection to the individual, to the group & to the larger community. It helps us realize that even though we are individual and unique, we are all part of something much larger than ourselves. The mandala making process becomes the Art of Engagement which is the basis of all peaceful interactions.

When the design was finished, it was displayed in the gallery for a week, then dismantled, much as Tibetan Mandalas are. To me, this represents impermanence & non-attachment. It reminds me of the fragile nature of Life & affirms that any positive change begins with a single thought from a single person-just as this design began with a single spoonful of rice.

Being who I am, I have adapted this activity to use with my younger groups & my students with sensory challenges. From their perspective, it is a fun, calming, multi-sensory activity that helps them learn to focus, share, engage & follow through with a project to completion. For the younger kids, I use simple terminology & call the designs 'mosaics', or 'rice art' and I make them permanent by using a little bit of white glue before the rice is added.

So many Life & Social skills can be learned through this activity! Its a perfect activity for outdoors and is the method I prefer. If you are going to do it inside, let the kids assist through the entire process by helping color the rice, set up the area & clean up at the end. If rice spills, gently guide them to help clean it up. Wherever you decide to set up the activity, be sure to allow plenty of time. It’s counter-productive to rush children through the process.It may even be helpful to set it up at a 'sensory station' and let the kids work on it at intervals during the week.

Supplies are simple: Plain, heavy duty paper plates, round or square (not Styrofoam) OR shoe box lids. (You can also use aluminum pans or plain color plastic trays) rice, food coloring and hand sanitizer. There are literally thousands of ideas and patterns online. Start with simple geometric shapes and build more intricate designs as the skill and attention level increases.

To see an instructional video of how to color the rice, click here: Colored Rice Technique.

 To find our e-course on designing mandalas for stress management go to:
10 Minute Mandalas

I know there are hundreds of other ways to use colored rice. Tell us your ideas in thecomments below!


To see some photos of the activity in progress, watch the video below.



Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com

Incorporating Sensory Activities for Whole Child Learning

                                             




Photo: Families.com

When we talk about "whole child learning" we are talking about more than sitting still & listening while learning math, reading, social studies and other subjects. These skills while important, are not enough to prepare a child for long term success.

Whole child learning does not just engage a students' ears. It engages all of the senses, the body & brain, the attention as well as the imagination. By engaging and supporting the whole child in their own learning process, they learn better, form mutually supportive friendships, retain information longer & are better prepared to think creatively & critically as they evaluate data, solve problems, and communicate with one another.


A "whole child" approach puts students first, matches up resources and adaptations to a student's unique needs, and provides a more balanced approach to learning. In order to be effective for lifelong success, all the different parts of education must work in coordination, not separately. When subjects and lessons are presented in a compartmentalized manner, the student feels the disconnect and disengages because they simply do not hold any real meaning for him.

When you can keep children engaged & challenged they will be better prepared for building on their education, work, social and civic life.

So, how can we easily adapt lessons & curriculum's to be engaging & challenging, allowing the whole student the opportunity to move, communicate, be creative & develop positive character?

How can we incorporate visual, auditory, olfactory, proprioceptive and tactile stimulation to improve the way our students take in and process, understand and utilize information? 

This is the topic of a professional development workshop I am presenting at the Center for Lifelong Learning  in Sayerville, NJ tomorrow. 100 educators and therapists will be joining me as we explore yoga and other holistic based tools and techniques for engaging students more in the classroom.

I am in the process of making this course available on our Distance Learning page and I hope to have that ready by mid-February. In the meantime, here are just a few ideas to get you started:


1.Make learning more hands-on by having your students dream up, name & create their own dinosaur or constellation.

2. Let your students make their own tactile sensory boxes using shoe box lids and rice, sand, beans or other material. Have them "write" the alphabet, their names, numbers or play tic tac toe.

3. Adapt the sensory box activity from #2 to be a relaxation activity. Play some soft, instrumental, harp or Native American flute music, and have the students draw circles or shapes to the music. To deepen the self-calming effect, have them do this with their eyes closed.

4. Create a Vanishing Slate using individual slates and paint brushes with water. The students can "paint" a positive word, their name or a design on the slate with the water and watch it slowly disappear. Can be done to low frequency, slow tempo music.

5. Create a labyrinth (a maze) in the classroom with masking tape or rope, or with sidewalk chalk outdoors. Have the children slowly walk the path, and walk back out. (A labyrinth differs from a maze in that there is only one way in and one way out.)

6. If you don't have room to make a large labyrinth, here are 4 different labyrinth designs  students can use while sitting at a desk or lying on the belly on the floor. (Directions included.)

7.Teach children math concepts & fiscal responsibility by having them plan a week's worth of meals, and creating a budget for their purchases using actual grocery advertisements. You can then go grocery 'shopping' at an online store.

8. Play relevant interactive & technology games between lessons and during transitions between classes. Encourage the students to solve puzzles and meet challenges as if they were their favorite video game character: Dora, Mario, Zelda, Angry Birds, Etc.)

9. Use photos, art, journals and literature to help your students create a timeline that highlights people's lives during significant historical or personal events: ( The Crusades, Christopher Columbus sailing to America, The first Thanksgiving, The Civil War or the day they were born, made the basketball team, etc.)

10. Guess what substances are in boxes or jars by smelling only. You can use a blindfold and do one  or two "Mystery Smells" a day. (Use ONLY natural substances such as coffee, vanilla bean, cloves, sage leaves, lemon tea bags, peppermints, etc.)

*(Do not use fragrance oil or perfume as it can have a toxic or allergic effect on the nervous system  of some children. Be sure to ask parents about allergies before you do this activity! )

11. Have children each bring in a fruit or vegetable and take them through the steps to make a salad together for the class to share. (Please check with parents for food allergies and special diets.)

12. Play the 'Pizza Game'. Improve body awareness and deep muscle input by using pool noodles as "rolling pins" and the students as "dough"  (Directions at this link.) To make this an activity that children can do for themselves, see this link here on how to stimulate pressure points: Pool Noodles

13. Adaptive Yoga is being used successfully in classrooms all over the world. Take a few minutes to put on some music and stretch, move and breathe! You don't  have to know the 'poses' or the Sanskrit names. Just ask the students: "What would my body look like if it were a [fill in the animal, natural or transportation object]"  Younger children will have fun taking turns moving and imitating and older kids will enjoy the creative movement.


What are some of the creative ways that you incorporate sensory, social & self-care lessons into your daily classroom work?

We would love to hear your ideas! Please leave a comment below!





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To schedule a professional development workshop for your school or organization, Contact Barbara@bodylogique.com

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Keeping Warm with a Winter Sensory Diet

It finally feels like winter today. I will miss the mild temperatures as I have never liked the cold. Even as a small child, while my brother & my friends were outside sledding, building snow forts & snowmen and having snowball fights, I would only last a short while before I began to feel cold & uncomfortable.

As an adult, even when 'bundled up' in the winter, I still get that cold feeling in my bones as soon as the temperature drops and the wind blows. I can't stand the feeling of cold air blowing into my face and eyes.

I also dislike ice skating, (but love roller skating) the feeling of cold air conditioning & fans blowing right on me in the summer, swimming in a cold pool, washing my hands and showering in cool water (as in when you have an old hot water heater and the 'hot' is not very hot at all) and I prefer not to have ice cream and other ice cold foods and beverages.

(And for as much as I love to create art, I also can't stand the feeling of finger paint, clay, glue, dirt, dough or any other sticky substance under my fingernails.)

Judging from this list, you may get the idea that I'm a Sensory Avoider.  If we knew when I was a child, what we know now, I might be called Tactile Defensive. (I almost wish I had, because then maybe there would have been an explanation for these 'quirks' instead of being called 'prissy', 'shy', 'moody' or 'weird'.)

The Tactile Sense is our sense of touch and is controlled by our largest organ, our skin. Input from skin receptors send messages to our brain about what we feel: touch, pressure, temperature, pain and even the movement of the hairs on our skin. A disruption in this or any other sensory processing or sensory integration is termed ‘Sensory Processing Disorder’.

While we all have a sensory preferences, it does not necessarily indicate a processing disorder. It is only a  disorder when it significantly impacts one or more areas of functioning.  Some common clues indicating a disruption or disorder of tactile processing can include:

• sensitivity to clothing textures, seams & labels
• reacts to dirty hands or feet
• itchy, tickly skin
• fidgets/wiggles
• dislikes hair being brushed/cut/washed
• prefers being covered up with clothes or prefers wearing no clothes where possible
• unusually sensitive to being too hot or too cold
• over reacts to pain
• reacts badly to being touched unexpectedly
• hates to stand in line
• reacts badly to being in a crowd or has a particularly wide personal space
• fails to register if too hot or too cold
• dresses inappropriately for the weather
• seems to crave and/ or avoid touch

My reaction to and avoidance of the cold was (and still is) mild compared to what some children with SPD experience. However, my own experience helps me to understand better and empathize more with others who have sensory challenges.

Last year, my daughter and her friends asked (and begged) me to help them build a snowman during the  "Snowmageddon 2010" Storms. Being 11, I knew there would not be many more years that she would ask me to play with her in the snow. For her sake, I did my best to confront and address my avoidance of the cold.

The first thing I did was move around a bit and had something warm to drink. (I had a cup of soup.)  Then I put on a hat, a scarf, earmuffs, fleece, gloves and an insulated coat (with the recommended layers underneath). After about 15 minutes, I still felt cold again. I went inside, warmed up tried again, sadly with the same result. (My daughter, being compassionate and understanding, forgave me anyway.)

In my search for ways to keep myself warm, inside & out this winter, I found some excellent tips for Winter "De-Sensitizing" here on the  Sensory Smarts  web page. I hope these will help you, your child and your students enjoy & keep warm and integrated during the upcoming winter months!

Read More Sensory Diet Tips  (on "Sensory Smarts")  here.

* What are some other ways you use to help children integrate senses and/or stay warm during the winter?

Please feel free to leave your tips and suggestions below!

To find more Sensory Games and Activities please visit:
BodyLogique.com



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Sensory Boxes

Sensory boxes can help improve tactile sensitivity!

The skin is the largest organ in the body packed with nerve fibers for keeping the brain in touch with the outside world.

Adults carry about 8 pounds and 20 square feet of skin. It is estimated that there are approximately 100 tactile/touch receptors in each finger!


Children explore the world through their senses. The sense of touch is the first sense to operate before a child is even born. The sense of touch is important for growth, development as well as survival.
The sense of touch enables an infant to turn their faces towards the nipple, to start bonding with their parents and to feel calmed by warm blankets while falling asleep. Poor tactile response can result in problems with body awareness, balance and graceful fluid movement.
In addition to brushing, massage and grooming pets, (real or stuffed) tactile senses can be strengthened by using Sensory Boxes. They are portable, easy to put together; the items you can use are inexpensive & variations are endless. A sensory box can be used in self-contained classrooms as a motivator for completing work or for appropriate behavior. It can be used in the home for the same reason for children with or without tactile or other development delays.


You will need:

• A clean plastic tub with a lid

• sand, rice, pasta, packing peanuts, paper shred or beans to fill plastic tub

• small items or toys to hide in the rice, sand etc. (small plastic animals, balls, race cars, small dolls, alphabet letters or numbers, small people, etc.)

First, be sure the plastic tub you are using is clean and dry. Fill tub about 2/3 full with pasta, rice, beans or sand. (We have used different kinds of pasta for our example.)

Place various toys or objects in the tub, hidden in the pasta. In the example to the right, there are sparkly bugs, frogs, lizards and snakes hidden in the pasta. (This photo was taken at a resource fair for the Dominics Dreams SPD Foundation.) As the children pulled out an animal, we did a yoga pose that went with the creature. There was also a gold coin hidden in the box. The child that 'found' that got to make up a pose. I remember the young man who found it made up his own "swan" pose.

Play with your child in the box by pushing hands deep into the box, scooping up pasta and letting it run out back into the box and by feeling for the hidden toys.

You can play counting games (how many bugs can you find?) or have the child sort (red bugs, green bugs, snakes, etc. or sort the different types of pasta or beans into cups.) Use your imagination and have fun!

I also have used leftover colored rice from my colored rice mosaics in the sensory boxes. This is my daughter's favorite "tune out to tune in" activity. She finds it very relaxing and has hidden a small ziploc bag of the "Rainbow Rice" away in her room for when she needs 'sensory time'. (My daughter is not on the spectrum, however I believe that all children have specific sensory needs, just as adults do! (More about rice mosaics in another post!)

*(Be careful of small objects being placed into ears, nose or swallowed. Please supervise young or impaired children at all times.)


* To learn more sensory & art activities go to:
http://smartkidsyoga.webs.com/artsensoryactivities.htm

Pool Noodles-Part 2

As we wind down the summer activities, and put away the beach buckets, shovels, nose plugs and pool toys, I again fall into my habit (some call it a "talent". I'm not so sure about that!) of finding the potential to adapt & use items for purposes they were not intended for! Today our target is again, Pool Noodles.

In my first related post, "Use Your (Pool) Noodle" (see May's Archives) I showed you how to use pool noodles as a "Pizza" roller for deep muscle and tactile input all over the body for sensory integration. Today is a follow-up & related activity and another great use for pool noodles to stimulate pressure points in the feet and hands.

Reflexology & acupressure are two little known tools for self-calming & improved focus. Massaging specific points on your hands & feet with your thumb will help reduce anxiety, stress and tension.  The pool noddle is a fun way to get children to do this regularly. It will massage and stimulate all the pressure points (about 5,000 of them in each hand and foot)  and have a regulating, grounding & calming effect. This is especially useful for children with poor hand strength & diminished fine motor skills who cannot use their thumb to massage these points in their hands or feet. 

This is not only simple and minimally distracting to others, but an effective way to calm and balance those organ-systems in the body. The child can do this for himself when needed.

For older children, when you combine these pressure techniques with deep breathing exercises the effects are multiplied. The result is a powerful technique you, your child or your student can use anytime, anywhere to calm and relax.  

In the last post, I instructed you to cut the noodles in half. This time, we will  cut it into 4ths. Take one of the the pieces of noodle and set it on the floor as shown at right. Have your child-or students-in bare feet-(socks are OK but bare feet gives a more full tactile experience & better input.) place their foot over the noodle & roll their foot back and forth the whole length of foot from heel to toe. They can apply a little pressure by stepping down if they like.

This technique can also be applied to the hands as shown in the photo at the left.

Be sure to have children switch and do BOTH feet or hands or this may have the opposite effect-and leave a feeling of unbalance. 

Try it yourself. You can also use a tennis ball, small stubby therapy ball or a super bounce rubber ball.








For more information about reflexology & acupressure, please contact barbara@bodylogique.com

Use Your (Pool) Noodle

For the last few months, I have had the pleasure of working with an organization called  P.O.A.C  NJ (Parents of Autistic Children)  presenting sensory-based adaptive yoga workshops for therapists, parents and other educators. The workshops focus on ways to calm & engage children in yoga, exercise, therapy and other enriching activities.

In yesterday's workshop, I demonstrated a technique I have used since my days in Ms. Trudy's early intervention inclusion classroom. I call it "Making Pizza" and it is simple, fun and requires very basic items.

This activity will help integrate the proprioceptive and tactile senses. It will encourage expressive communication and focus. In addition it will help in sequencing skills. Parents, teachers, para-educators, therapists and family caregivers can use this fun game to calm the nervous system in over responsive children and help stimulate the senses for those children who are under responsive. This can be done in the therapy or sensory room, classroom or at home.

You will need a child, a grown up, (or as children become familiar with this exercise you can use 2 children at a time & supervise & facilitate peers participating in this activity ) a mat or a blanket and some of those colorful foam "noodles" that are used for swimming. I found these (pictured in the photo above) at a dollar store and had Jay, my significant other (and keeper of the scary, sharp and dangerous tools,) cut them in half for me to use at yesterday's workshop. (They cut fairly easily with a sharp knife as shown directly below.)

In this activity, one person (the child) gets to be the "dough" and the grown up gets to make the pizza.

To begin playing tell the child that you want to play the "Pizza Game" with him/her. Ask "Would you like to play?" (They may look at you suspiciously.)

Tell them you will be the Pizza Maker & they can be the dough. Instruct the child to lay down on their belly on the mat or blanket (which will now be referred to as the "Pizza Pan"...) with his or her hands under her cheeks as a "pillow" (or you can really use a small pillow.)

Begin by gently but firmly "rolling out the dough" with the colorful "rolling pins" as shown in the photo. Some of these noodles had some bumpy patterns that made for an interesting tactile sensory experience.



When I did this with my own daughter she started to wiggle & giggle and then after a few minutes she was directing me as to where she needed more rolling.

Watch your student or child carefully for body language & other signs of whether they need a bit more pressure or if you should apply a bit less pressure.

As you are doing the rolling, say out loud "I am roooooling out the dough...mmmmm...this will be good pizza!" or something similar.

After rolling for a minute,  pause and think out loud: "Hmmm, I wonder what I should put on this pizza? See if the child responds with a suggestion. If not, then ask the child if they have a suggestion. ("What do you like/should we put on this pizza?")

If they still don't know or don't respond , prompt them by saying, "How about some brussel sprouts? or some other known food that they do not like. Most likely they will now say "Ewwww..." or tell you "no", so you can ask again what they would like on their pizza?

If they have a suggestion you can respond by saying "Oh yes...cheese! Good idea! we need cheese on our pizza!" and use your hands on the child's back, arms, legs, feet & head if they will allow you to, to create a sensation of putting cheese on the pizza.

"What do we need next? Pizza sauce! Oh yes-I like lots of that!"  Use your hands again only slightly differently to make the "sauce" on the child's body. As each ingredient is suggested by the child or prompted by you, (olives, onions, peppers, anchovies, mushrooms, sausage, pepperoni, oregano , etc...) use your hands, fingers and even the ends of the noodles to make that ingredient's sensation on the back of the child's body. Be animated & creative - take your time, really engage with the child and have fun with it. (I know one teacher that even has a "chef" hat-she wears it while doing this with the kids.

The idea is to give the child calming muscle input and also to allow the child to have a sense of control over the activity-to spontaneously communicate his or her "needs" in the framework of  the "ingredients". Some children will get silly and say things like "gumdrops" or "worms" and I just go with it as long as the child is calm, engaging and having fun.  I may redirect afterward and say "OH..this is a make-believe silly pizza..." if I am trying to encourage appropriateness of language.

However, children have vivid imaginations and sometimes its a good thing to see where they will go with an idea. They may surprise you. Sometimes its best to put the lesson plan, the  "rules" the "shoulds" and the need for "compliance" aside & just play with the child. If the child is having fun, and trusts you, you will get the compliance you need to do your therapy or your teaching. I find it very effective to go into the child's world first, and to always encourage the higher skill being demonstrated.

After all the "ingredients" are added, the pizza has to cook-(sometimes I use a blanket or roll them up in the yoga mat)  you shut off the light & even set a visual timer for a minute or two and encourage the child to be very still & breathe quietly while waiting . Sometimes very quiet music helps) and when the pizza is "done" then you can unroll and "eat" (I use light squeezing movements on legs and arms.)

Then, if time allows, ask the child if he/she wants to be the pizza maker? Give him/her the chef hat and you lie down on the mat. Guide the child to repeat the steps you just did-with prompting when needed.

For non-verbal children this activity can be adapted to let them choose plastic play food from a basket or a picture card (PECS) to communicate which ingredient should be added next.  Children can also be supervised to play this game together in this manner.

If you are working on sequencing, use picture cards with numbers on them first to teach the sequence, then an exact duplicate copy of cards to practice the sequence.

As a variation, you can use this activity with the idea of making cookies or baking bread or making a hoagie/sandwich, or cutting vegetables & tossing a salad, planting a garden or even the idea of a *sculptor and clay.

*(For the clay idea, after the "clay" is rolled and pressed and flattened, the "sculptor" then can mold it into anything. Arms and legs can get moved or posed and the "clay" must stay the way the "sculptor" places them.)

I would love to hear from those of you that have done this activity! Please feel free to leave a comment below!

Have fun using those noodles!

~Barbara



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Skin-formation....

The skin is the largest organ in the body packed with nerves for keeping the brain in touch with the outside world. Adults carry about 8 pounds and 20 square feet of it. It is estimated that there are approximately 100 tactile/touch receptors in each finger!

Skin acts as a waterproof, insulating shield, guarding the body against extremes of temperature, damaging sunlight, and harmful chemicals. It also exudes antibacterial substances that prevent infection and manufactures vitamin D for converting calcium into healthy bones.

At the same time, skin allows us free movement, proving itself an amazingly adaptable & versatile organ.

Skin is made up of three layers. The top or outermost is the epidermis made up mostly of cells called keratinocytes,  (from the tough protein keratin -also the material in hair and nails). These cells form several layers that grow outwards. As the outermost  cells die they flake off. It takes close to five weeks for new cells to work their way to the surface. The epidermis also contains defensive Langerhans cells, which will alert the body's immune system to bacteria & viruses.

The skin's deepest base layer is called the subcutis, which includes a seam of fat laid down as a fuel reserve in case of food shortage. It also works as insulation and cushions us from knocks and falls.

In the center of these two layers is the dermis, which is made of fibers of collagen and elastin & gives the skin its strength and elasticity . There are also sweat glands, hair follicles and sebaceous (oil) glands that keep the skin & hair moist. Blood vessels in this layer help regulate body temperature & a network of sensory nerve receptors pick up feelings such as roughness &  temperature (and pain), and send them to the brain. This layer is responsible for our sense of touch.

We all rely on our sense of touch more than we know. As children we begin to explore & understand the world through our senses and the tactile sense-or sense of touch - is the first sense to operate before a child is even born. The sense of touch is vitally important for growth and development as well as survival. It is a necessary building block of fine motor skills.

The sense touch enables an infant to turn their faces towards the nipple, when feeding, to start bonding with their parents and to feel calmed by warm blankets while falling asleep. Poor tactile response can result in problems with body awareness, balance, graceful fluid movement & an inner sense of security & confidence.

There are several ways to strengthen the tactile sense in children with sensory challenges: one way is through yoga. The tactile sense is stimulated through bare feet on mat or floor/carpet surface, as well as hands touching various parts of body or mat and blocks for support, instructor's physical prompts & through  partner poses with other children.

Other ways to strengthen the tactile sense are hand & foot massages, (or makeup brush or feather 'massages') playing in sand, therapy putty, clay, finger paints, barefoot games in grass, sand or water, yoga games, dancing (barefoot) or using scarves, "Funny Football"  game, water play, texture books,  mixing salt dough, body brushing, scalp/face/back massage and grooming pets, (dogs, cats, horses whether real or stuffed).

The mouth also provides a strong tactile input. Crunchy foods and water ice will help integrate the oral tactile sense, especially for children that constantly mouth toys & non-food objects.

Its important to keep in mind that if the child is not actively participating or is resisting the activity should be stopped. Some children like lighter touch activities and others who are tactile defensive may find this to be too disorganized & overwhelming. (An example would be someone -adult or child- who is ticklish on the feet if touched lightly, and will pull away, yet loves a deeper pressure foot massage that they will find relaxing.) To help with tactile defensiveness, pair deeper, firmer pressure activities with lighter tactile activities to help reduce defensiveness about touch.
 

Tactile senses can also be strengthened by using Sensory Boxes. They are very easy to put together; using pasta, rice, beans or a combination of the 3 and small toys or plastic animals. The items you can use are inexpensive & variations are endless.

See the link below for instructions.

 How to Make a Sensory Box

 
 
 


 
For more sensory games & activities from BodyLogique™,  Please click here.
 
 
 
 
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